Friends, we've come to the end of 2017. Each year, I'm mystified as to where the days went, pages of the calendar flipping by. It seems like just yesterday I was writing about 2016 being the most challenging year of my life, and now here we are. New Year's Eve 2017 is just days away, and it's time to write another Year in Review post. I wanted to close out this year by sharing a bit of myself with you and leave you with a few thoughts.

Allow me to paint you a picture here: your beloved has asked you to be his or her partner for life, and you said YES! You're giddy with excitement and joy and start dreaming up your perfect wedding day. You've got a date in mind and then...the decisions come pouring in like an avalanche in spring.

The late afternoon sun peeked through tall trees, casting warm, dappled light on the ceremony site Michel and Emmanuel had created for their intimate wedding. Set in the backyard of Michel's childhood home, Michel and Emmanuel surrounded themselves with their closest friends and family as they pledged their lives to one another.

I just love this time of year. Snowflakes float through the air on a regular basis, Christmas lights twinkle through windows, and presents are neatly wrapped under the treat. It's also ENGAGEMENT SEASON!

James Cash Penny said, "Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together." The past few months, I have been quietly focusing on growth and how to make the KLEM Studios photography experiences bigger and better.

So many ladies reach out to me, inquiring about the boudoir experience I offer, saying they want to gift the images to their significant other but they don't have a ton of confidence or self-love. We live in a world where women are continually judged by their appearance.

There's something to be said for creating a business that allows you to be surrounded by brave, empowering women on a consistent basis. So many ladies reach out to KLEM Studios inquiring about boudoir sessions with a bit of excitement and a LOT of nervousness.

When I first talked with Valerie about her's and Dylan's wedding plans, my heart started beating faster. She painted a picture of a gorgeous fall engagement session in Door County leading up to their early fall wedding in Kewaunee a year later.

When a couple wants to personalize their engagement session and use locations that mean something to them, it lights up my soul and my inner self does a happy little victory dance. Sure, couples that are in love are going to look great no matter where they decide to stage their engagement session.

"Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing." Helen Keller said these famous words, I'm sure we've all heard them before. As I've gotten older and grown in my business as well, I've learned the truth in that saying. If we aren't taking risks in life, or seeking the unknown, or wandering off the popular path, are we really living?

After a loss, it can be difficult to traverse the dating world. Many thoughts may go through your head, from wondering if you're being respectful to your deceased loved one, to doubting that you will ever love again. Cindy had experienced tragedy, but found a flicker of hope when she met Stacy.

I'm the type of person that believes that most things happen for a reason. I'm not going to say EVERYTHING happens for a reason because, come on, was there some big, divine reason that I wasted five minutes of my morning scrolling on social media to snuggle with my dogs a little longer? Probably not, but I digress.

Let's be honest, planning your wedding isn't all sunshine and rainbows all the time. There are a lot of decisions to be made, and it can be really stressful. Pinterest inspires so many ideas, it can be hard to have it all come together.

It is an incredibly humbling and joyful experience when a woman reaches out to me, inquiring about a boudoir session. Many of them are nervous, timid, maybe not feeling totally confident about themselves.

As a wedding photographer, I am blessed to work with incredible, in-love couples on a regular basis. But then there are some couples that reach down deep inside you and latch on, taking a special place in your heart because of the epic love they show each other.

On a brilliantly sunny August day, Ryan and Kayla said "I do" at the Mary Ann Cofrin Hall Gardens at UWGB. Both alumni of UWGB (as am I, go Phoenix!), Kayla and Ryan wanted to tie in the place where they first met each other in their wedding festivities.

I just adore Bella and Tim. When I learned more about them, I knew that we were destined to be friends. Bella and I work together in the craft beer industry (my side hustle), where she approached me about photographing her elopement and later-date reception.